


Fourth Time's a Charm

by ThePagemistress



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-04
Updated: 2013-04-04
Packaged: 2017-12-07 11:29:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/748034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePagemistress/pseuds/ThePagemistress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team think that Vincent needs to go on a date to get him to unwind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fourth Time's a Charm

  
"What!? Why me?!"  
  
"Because you're pretty much the only person here that doesn't get a death glare whenever you look at him."  
  
Reeve just stared back at Tifa, completely dumbfounded. She was right, of course, Vincent did seem to be somewhat courteous towards the director than any of the others but he still didn't see why that made him the person for the job.  
  
"But he's a man! _I'm_ a man!" He spluttered.  
  
"Oh please," she countered, "we all know that trivialities like that don't mean a thing with you Shinra guys. Right, Cloud?" The poor blond almost choked on his drink. Sometimes he hated how much she could read him like a book.  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"Well, I'm not Cloud. And yes, while I will admit to having dipped a toe into that area while I was with Shinra, it's not...I mean...I didn't...He'll shoot me!"  
  
Yuffie sighed loudly, rolling her eyes. "Listen, catman...We can't finish this job if Vinnie doesn't relax. He's driving us crazy!"  
  
"The kid's right, he ain't cooperating with the rest of us and it's pissing me off!" Barrett interjected.  
  
"Perhaps it would be wise to just go along with it, director?" Nanaki said, somewhat more calmly than the others. Reeve looked at each of them in turn, still clearly struggling with the idea.  
  
"It's just one date, Reeve. That's all. If he refuses then so be it, you tried. But I, or we, think that he just needs some company so he's not so...moody." Tifa finished. Reeve stared at her for several moments before sighing, letting his head hang forward.  
  
"Fine. I'll do it." He muttered which was followed by several claps and cheers as they all dispersed from 7th Heaven.   
  
All except one man. One who had remained uncharacteristically silent during the entire proceeding. He stood exactly where he had the last 20 minutes, hands gripping his spear so tightly his knuckles were turning white, every inch of him positively seething.  
  
 _Why him? Why the fuck does_ he _get ta ask Vince on a date?_ Cid thought angrily to himself. OK, maybe Tifa was right, Vincent did seem to act amiably towards Reeve, moreso than anyone else but that didn't mean anything! And yes, OK, maybe Cid did get the most severe death glare of all of them from the gunman but that didn't mean anything either!  
  
Cid sighed as he finally relaxed, slumping against the wall as he lit a cigarette, 'no smoking' rule be damned. Who was he kidding? Reeve was the guy for the job...he doubted Vincent would go for it but at least he'd just get a small shake of the head and a 'no thank you, Reeve' whereas Cid would probably get a mouthful of Cerberus, a claw round his neck and a 'what are you insinuating, Chief?'. But Cid was still unable to convince himself that it wouldn't be worth a try.  
  
How long had he been after the tall, brooding gunner? Well, technically never, he'd never actively gone after him, it was never the right time. So, how long had he _wanted_ him? Since day one, no question. From the day he and Cloud first barged their way into his home, stealing his pride and joy before totally destroying it, he knew this troublesome figure was the one for him.  
  
During the Meteor Crisis, he was so pre-occupied with his sins and atoning and blah, blah, blah that Cid found it hard to get inside his head. But he did, a few times. During that time, no-one could argue that Cid was the one that Vincent was most sociable with, often rooming with him and walking with him in a companionable silence.  
  
Cid came to the decision that once they took care of that silver-haired son of a bitch and saved the goddamn world, he would tell the gunman how he felt, regardless of consequences. It was a good plan in theory, of course he hadn't counted on Vincent disappearing without a trace once the world had been saved.  
  
For months Cid threw himself into his work, trying to forget those red eyes, the pale skin and that wry smile but he just couldn't do it. Vincent haunted him like the nightmare he always considered himself to be. Cid worried that he was dead, but was pretty sure from their brief conversations that he probably couldn't die. Didn't stop him worrying though.  
  
When Tifa had called him one day, everything changed. "Cid, we need you to bring the _Highwind_ to Edge, and bring as many of the gang as possible!"  
  
" _Highwind_ 's outta action but the _Shera_ should be able to do the job no problem. I can get the director, Nanaki and the brat...Barrett's probably already there, ain't he? And, uh, Vince..."  
  
"We just heard from the Turks that Vincent's in the Forgotten City, he'll make his own way here."  
  
Cid had just gaped on the phone. So he was alive, that was good, that meant he could kill him for not letting them know he was OK. Course, the same happened again, once the Geostigma was taken care of, Vincent split without a word.  
  
Months later, Omega. That was when everything truly changed between them. Vincent began to totally steer clear of the abrasive pilot, instead seeking refuge with the soft-spoken WRO director. He didn't know what he'd done to deserve it, why Vincent was suddenly so cold towards him and while he brushed it off and went about his duties as captain, he couldn't deny the sudden ache in his heart.  
  
And now, here they all were, together again on yet another mission to save the world, Vincent being more obstinate than usual and Reeve there to swoop in and put together the pieces that he had been picking up for what felt like forever.  
  
 _Fuck that!_ Cid thought to himself. No way was he going to stand back and watch Reeve take his Vincent away from him, he was going to fight to get him back, to get him at least talking to him again. Mind made up, he put out the cigarette and bounded outside to the _Shera_ to stop Reeve from making the biggest mistake of Cid's life.  
  
~*~  
  
"-And, I was wondering if, if you would like to go out on a date with me." Cid's eyes widened as he heard the director from the other side of the door of his quarters. Unable to stop himself, not thinking how he would explain his actions, he burst into the room.  
  
"Stop!" He yelled, before seeing a rather pale looking Reeve talking to a mirror. Cid had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed as he relaxed his posture, clearing his throat a little.  
  
"Is there something the matter, Captain?" Reeve asked, still a little startled.  
  
"Um. Look, it's about this date thing. Ya ain't really gonna do it, are ya? You know it's suicide." Reeve contemplated him for a bit, this he did know. But what other choice was there?  
  
"You're an important guy, these fellas need ya. No good to 'em if you got those brains splattered all over one o' my walls, hm?" Reeve managed to pale further at the not so unlikely possibility.  
  
"Well, what would you suggest? We don't have much of a choice according to Miss Lockheart."  
  
Cid paused for dramatic effect, as if really mulling it over. "Well, I s'pose I could ask 'im. Figure if he pulls that gun on me, I'd have a hell of a better chance of defending meself than you. No offence."  
  
"None taken." He replied, almost absently. It was no secret that Reeve wasn't much of a fighter, he was more of an organizer. Which was why he would prefer to keep his brains firmly inside his head. "Well, if you're sure, Cid. But we can't do without a captain either, remember."  
  
Cid tried to suppress the gleam in his eye and the grin threatening to cross his lips. "Piece o' cake, Reeve. If all else fails, I'll get him so pissed off at me, he'll forget why he was so goddamn moody in the first place!" He said with a laugh, before heading off in search of Vincent's quarters, almost knocking into Tifa on the way.  
  
"Sorry, Tif. Urgent business!" He threw over his shoulder. She frowned slightly then looked to see Reeve with a rather amused look on his face. Raising an eyebrow at him, he merely gave a slight nod causing her to chuckle softly as they both watched the Captain hurtle across the deck.  
  
~*~  
  
Vincent knew something had been going on, he'd seen them whispering, heard his name mentioned. It wasn't unusual of course; he was used to being gawked at and whispered about but not usually by people he considered comrades. It put him in a worse mood than he was already in, he didn't like being plotted against.   
  
He wasn't too surprised, therefore, when he heard a frantic knocking on his door. _God help the person who is on the other side of it_... He thought, ready to unleash his frustration on the owner of the knocking hand.  
  
He opened the door rather violently but stiffened when he saw the out-of-breath pilot in front of him. He had been expecting Reeve or Cloud, they seemed to be the ones whispering the most but Cid...he could really do without this now.  
  
He turned his back on the wheezing pilot, returning to sit on the bed. "Is there a problem, Highwind?" He asked, not even bothering to look at him.  
  
Cid let himself in, closing the door. It was his ship after all, he could do what he damn well wanted. Vincent tensed a little at the close proximity of the blond but it went unnoticed.  
  
"Yeah, there's a problem. You're the fucking problem, Vince." _Shit, this prob'ly isn't the best way to go about this_... But it was too late, the pilot wasn't well known for being tactful. It did, however, cause the gunman to look up at him with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Oh? And what have I done that is not to your liking? Or should I say, to everyone's liking? Don't look so surprised, Highwind, I've seen them whispering. Not to mention the mako enhancements...they really aid your hearing." He sounded almost venomous as he spoke. Cid frowned, he couldn't believe the others had been so careless, as if Vincent didn't have enough issues, they gotta go and talk about him behind his back when he's around?  
  
Vincent continued to stare at the pilot, waiting to see what he would come back with. Now that he thought about it, he had never once seen or heard Cid involved with any of these discussions. He felt a tiny bit of regret at snapping at him for it but he wouldn't back down now, he just wanted to know what was going on.  
  
"We're going on a date." Cid suddenly blurted out.  
  
"What?!" Of all the counter attacks he was expecting, that most certainly wasn't one of them. His eyebrows rose out of sight under his bandana, his eyes wide and his passive aggressive stance momentarily vanished.  
  
Cursing himself for his lack of forethought, he tried to find a way to recover. "We're going on a date." He repeated. _Yeah, great, he ain't deaf, Highwind! Stop fucking around!_  
  
"What are you insinuating, Chief?" Vincent's eyes had narrowed as he stared at the blond who was beginning to look much like a deer caught in headlights.   
  
Cid lost some of the colour in his face at the question. _Oh shit, here comes the gun and the claw and the BANG and then blood_... But nothing happened, Vincent just stayed where he was, looking calmly yet somehow threateningly at the shorter man.  
  
"I'm insinuating that...that yer fucking pissing everyone off, that's what!" Vincent's eyes widened again but he didn't interrupt. "You've been so goddamn moody, that lot reckon you ain't gonna be able to fight worth shit when it all kicks off. So they figured you needed someone to help ya unwind or whatever."  
  
"And they elected _you_?" Vincent failed to keep the scoff out of his voice which he regretted when he saw the way the pilot's face fell.   
  
"Why not me?" He said, trying so hard not to pout.  
  
"Well, uh, I just thought someone like Reeve would-" He immediately knew it was the wrong thing to say when he saw Cid's eyes narrow and the colour return to his face full force.  
  
"Fine! Well, maybe Reeve _would_ be better cos he's so fucking great and _everyone_ loves Reeve! Gaia knows a dumb ol' pilot wouldn't have anything to offer-"  
  
"I'll go..." Vincent uttered, almost to himself. Cid had begun pacing and didn't even hear him.  
  
"-It's not like I can cook, or have anything interesting to say or have a fucking airship that can take someone wherever the fuck they like-!"  
  
"I'll go with you..." he said a little louder but the pilot continued to rant.  
  
"-I mean, why _would_ someone like you pick an uncivilized has-been like me over an up an' comin' director that can make his own fucking talking house pets-"  
  
"Highwind!" Cid stopped his pacing, looking to the apparently uncomfortable gunner.  
  
"...What?"  
  
"I will go on a date with you." He said, hiding his face in his collar in an attempt to cover the blush heating up his face. Cid opened and closed his mouth several time before any words came out.  
  
"Damn right you will." He said with a sharp nod but was unable to hide the smile. Vincent returned it, though somewhat toned down but, still being hidden by the collar, Cid didn't see it.  
  
"So, where is it?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Where is the date going to be?"  
  
"Umm..."  
  
"Will there be food?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Have you even _thought_ about it this, Highwind?" Vincent asked, back to being slightly aggravated.  
  
 _Fuck Vince, it's all I've thought about since I met ya, but I never thought you'd actually say yes. Never bothered thinking past that part._ Instead of voicing any of his thoughts, he just shrugged, running a calloused hand nervously through his hair.  
  
With a sigh, Vincent stood up to look down into those slightly glazed blue eyes. "OK, well, where we go should be the first thing."  
  
Cid shrugged again, eyes never leaving those blood red orbs, getting lost in their intensity. "Don't care. Where do you wanna go? It's fer your benefit, Vince."   
  
For the countless time in the last few minutes, Vincent's eyebrows went sky high. It had been a long time since he had been given a choice, even one as small as this. He felt a weird flutter in his chest but quickly dismissed it.  
  
"The _Corner House_ in Kalm." Vincent said firmly, leaving no room for argument. Cid nodded, knowing the place. It was a little upmarket for his tastes but nothing was too good for Vincent.   
  
"I'll get 'er ready." Cid said, leaving the room along with Vincent who was left trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.  
  
~*~  
  
Awkward could not begin to describe how they felt as they sat eating their meal.  
  
Knowing the kind of clientele the _Corner House_ had, Cid made a real effort to not embarrass the already uncomfortable looking gunman. He'd flattened his spiky hair down as much as he could, found a slightly rumpled blue shirt and stole a tie from Reeve's quarters. He looked surprisingly smart but he didn't look like Cid. Vincent stared at him for a good few minutes, trying to work out why his face looked wrong and suddenly noticed the absence of his ever-present goggles. It seemed to make all the difference.  
  
Vincent had left the gauntlet behind, wearing a black leather glove in its place but he couldn't bring himself to leave the safety of his cape behind. He was finding it very handy now as he discreetly watched Cid struggle with his food. Cid was much more of a fry-up kind of guy, he didn't quite know what to make of the haute cuisine in front of him. But he never complained, which in itself was strange. Cid wasn't known for keeping his opinions to himself.  
  
What was also strange was just his general silence. He would occasionally open his mouth as if to say something but as soon as Vincent made eye contact, he would shut it again or down some more of the high priced wine (pulling a face in the process) before focusing a little too intently on his food.  
  
Vincent finished off his glass of wine before standing up, making Cid start suddenly.  
  
"Let's get out of here, Highwind." Cid also stood but didn't move anywhere.  
  
"Why? You don't like it? Food not good? I knew that fucking waiter was screwing with it. Leave it to me, Vince-"  
  
"No, Chief. The food was lovely. The company, however, leaves much to be desired." That made Cid's mouth fall open. He didn't know whether to be hurt, angry, offended or whether to agree. He couldn't deny that the evening had been a complete disaster. Apart from a brief 'Hell Vince, you look great!', he'd barely said a word all night. Reeve wouldn't have had this problem... _Dammit, why did I think this was a good fuckin' idea?_  
  
Seeing the confusion on Cid's face, Vincent smirked a little. "Don't get me wrong, Highwind. This place is not you, this is outside of your comfort zone and I apologise for suggesting it. It should not have been about the food or the atmosphere; it should have been about the companionship if I am to understand the teams' motives behind this. And that has been abysmal. I would rather spend an evening with Cid Highwind than whoever this shadow of a person is I have been dining with."  
  
Cid's frown remained as he worked his way around the speech, figuring out if he should still be insulted. Coming to the conclusion that there was actually a compliment in there somewhere, Cid simply grinned and gave another of his sharp nods.  
  
"Let's get the fuck outta here." He said, grabbing Vincent's arm and pulling him out the door, ignoring the staring patrons on their way out.  
  
As he headed back to the _Shera_ , Vincent suddenly stopped making him stumble.  
  
"Let's just sit here." Vincent said, looking around at the wide expanse of grass. With a flourish, he unbuckled his cape, laying it down on the ground before sitting on it, leaving enough room beside him for the pilot.  
  
Coming to his senses, Cid moved forward, falling to his knees before untangling himself and lying on his back to look up at the sky. Vincent lay down beside him, eyes flicking from the stars to the content face beside him. Cid always seemed happiest when he could see the sky, it was something Vincent had learned very early on about him.  
  
They lay in silence for a long while but it was worlds apart from the silence they left in the _Corner House_. This was pleasant, companionable and above all calming. Just what they had wanted for him. That was until Cid had to go and ruin it.  
  
"Vince?" He said, quietly, eyes never leaving the soothing vastness of the black sky.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Why'dja quit talkin' ta me?"  
  
Vincent's eyes widened as his eyes burned holes into the heavens, he refused to look at the blue eyes he knew were now focused on him. He swallowed hard, wondering what he should say.  
  
"I..."  
  
"We had a good thing goin', didn't we? Then it all went to shit. What did I do?" Cid was almost pleading now, the question having been on his mind for so long.  
  
Vincent sighed, clenching his eyes closed quickly. "It wasn't you, Cid. It was never you. I...It was becoming...too much."  
  
When Vincent didn't seem to want to elaborate, Cid looked away again figuring it was best to leave it at that. They both knew, however, that that wasn't going to happen.  
  
"Ya know ya don't need to keep all this shit to yerself.  Why doncha trust us?"  
  
"It's not that. Some things cannot be discussed so easily, I needed to think it through on my own."  
  
"And did ya?"  
  
"...In part. It is no secret that I am a slave to my sins as well as my emotions. A lot of things came down on me at once during the Omega crisis."  
  
"No shit." Cid said, sounding a bit brash but it was taken with the manner of which it was intended.  
  
"It was the first time in a long while that I really had to face  my past, face...Lucrecia." Cid winced at the name. Gaia, how he hated that woman. He kept it to himself, learning from his first harsh outburst that such comments did not sit well with the gunman. Rightly so, she was/is the love of his life after all. He winced again at the thought.  
  
"I get this. I get that that would fuck with your head and make ya distant from people. But ya just became distant from me, Vince. Just me."  
  
"I know." Vincent muttered, knowing that Cid wasn't going to let this go any time soon. And why should he? The man did deserve an explanation, he'd been putting it off for so long. Shifting on to his side, propping himself up on his elbow to allow himself to look down onto the rugged features of the pilot which were somehow softened by the moonlight.  
  
Cid stared up at him, suddenly feeling a little exposed but managed to stop himself from squirming as those red eyes darted over his face.  
  
"You are unlike anyone I have ever met, Chief. You don't care what people think about you, you know exactly who you are, what you like and what you want and will stop at nothing to get it. You are true to your feelings and fully embrace life. You are everything I wish I could be."  
  
Cid's heart rate was rapidly increasing as the man spoke, trying to think of something intelligent to say but wasn't given the opportunity when Vincent looked back to the stars to continue talking.  
  
"I lost my lust for life even before I joined the Turks, in fact, that's probably why I joined, to find that rush, that thrill. Even when I fell in love with Lucrecia," another wince, "there was always that fear, I could never let myself enjoy the feeling."  
  
Laying back down, his ebony hair whipped around his face from the gentle breeze. "Experiments and 30 years in isolation can really mess with a man's head. I saw Cloud's offer as an opportunity for revenge, to atone. What I got was a belligerent, crude, bad-tempered, loud, chain-smoking rogue who somehow managed to show me how life should be lived while somehow making me feel more human than I had in longer than I care to remember."  
  
He risked a look across at the pilot who was staring at him with his mouth open, azure eyes comically wide.  
  
"Wha?"  
  
Vincent smiled softly. "You were the only one I was truly comfortable around. You brought out things in me that I figured long since dead, killed by Hojo with ever slice of that blade."  
  
"But then..."  
  
Vincent sighed again, knowing the question that Cid's brain couldn't quite form. "When Shelke took on Lucrecia's memories and I found out what had really happened to me in the lab, I found I was...letting go. I had held onto her memory for so long, it became my way of life. And as I found myself moving on from my love of her it made me focus more on my love for...someone else."  
  
Cid's breath hitched in his throat as he listened. _What the fuck are you trying to say, Vince?_  
  
"It scared me, Cid. I hadn't opened myself up to anyone in years and you come along and smash every wall I put up with your tenacity. The only thing I could think to do to preserve myself was to stay away from you."  
  
"Dammit, Vince!" Vincent's head spun to look at Cid. His voice was agitated by his eyes were warm and almost disbelieving. "You didn't think that maybe ya coulda told me?"  
  
"No." Vincent said, simply. He honestly had never considered such a thing, he'd suffered too much heartbreak and with his mind in such a haze, Cid's rejection could have proved to be the final straw.  
  
Then Cid did something that Vincent didn't expect....  
  
He laughed.  
  
He laughed until his sides hurt. Looking over to see Vincent's bewildered expression, he pushed himself up on his elbows, rolling over to hover over the gunner.  
  
"For such an intellect, you can be damn stupid, Vince." Vincent replied with a frown. He pours out his feelings, shares things he'd tried to keep secret for so long from the man that had grown to mean so much to him and this was how he got treated? He found himself trying to get up, to get away from the humiliation but a firm hand landed on his chest, pinning him down.  
  
"I've loved ya since the day ya hijacked ma _Bronco_. All I've ever wanted to do is make ya feel good, feel wanted but ya never let me get close enough. Just when I thought I'd be gettin' there, ya'd take off and scare the shit outta me. Well, this was the last time I was willing to let you pull that shit on me! I wasn't about to pass up this opportunity. Though, I'll admit, you kinda got me a little more nervous than I expected..."  
  
"So, you mean, you have feelings for me too?" Vincent whispered, as if it were the most sacred thing he had every said. He looked up into those eyes, so full of life and energy and...love.   
  
Giving a wide grin, Cid leaned down, pressing his dry lips to Vincent's warm and soft ones. He felt Vincent's gasp which only made him smile more as he felt the taller man respond to the kiss. A gloved hand found its way into the blond hair, pulling him closer to the love thirsty gunman. Cid was more than happy to oblige as he shifted to straddle the thin waist to gain better access to his mouth, tongue sliding in to fully explore.   
  
After what felt like an eternity, Cid finally pulled away, Vincent instinctively leaning forward to try and maintain the contact for as long as possible. Cid grinned back down at him, both pairs of eyes suddenly slightly unfocused.  
  
"Yep. I think I have feelings for ya, Valentine." And with that statement, Cid was greeted with a breathtaking smile from the gunman, a smile that he swore from that moment on he would strive to keep on that face as often as possible.  
  
"Good. Because I'm in love with you, Cid. And I am not letting you go without a fight."  
  
"Suits me just fine." He leant down for another kiss, shorter than the last before standing up. Vincent expressed his distaste of this sudden move with a very uncharacteristic whine which made him blush as soon as he heard it. Cid simply chuckled, holding out a hand to help the slightly dishevelled man to his feet.  
  
"Think we should probably get back to the ship. They might be worrying that ya shot me."  
  
"Why would they think that? It was their idea in the first place, they must have had their reasons." Cid failed miserably at hiding his guilty expression as he once again ran his hand awkwardly through his hair.  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"They didn't pick you, did they." It wasn't a question, he was stating a fact.  
  
"Not...really." Cid responded a little sheepishly. Vincent couldn't hide the smile on his face.  
  
"They picked Reeve, didn't they."  
  
"Kinda."  
  
"Wonder what would make them think that I'd pick an up and coming executive over a hard-working, kind-hearted, albeit unorthodox, pilot?"  
  
"Guess they don't know shit about ya, Vince." He said, smiling brightly.  
  
"Guess not." He buckled his now grass-stained cape back on, following Cid back to the ship as the cape seemed to blow around them both, despite the gentleness of the breeze.  
  
~*~  
  
"Shouldn't they be back by now? Maybe you got it all wrong."  
  
"Calm down, Reeve. Women's intuition, everything's fine."  
  
Yuffie suddenly came hurtling round the corner of the airship, eyes wide as she bounced up and down, mouth working but no words coming out. They didn't need to as they soon saw the cause of her apparent elation turn the corner.  
  
Several pairs of eyes widened at the sight of Cid and Vincent, hand in hand as they whispered into each other's ears. They stopped when they noticed their path was blocked.  
  
"So," Tifa started, bright smile on her face, "Good date?"  
  
"Fuck no. Food was lousy."  
  
"Company was appalling."  
  
"Snob."  
  
"Cretin."  
  
Tifa and Reeve both watched them curiously. The words were hurtful and yet their eyes remained locked on each other, smiles on their faces and hands running over skin. Reeve was at a loss but Tifa knew that her plan had succeeded.  
  
She nudged him in the ribs and whispered: "See, I told you it would work. They just needed a woman's touch."  
  
Vincent's eyes suddenly snapped from Cid to Tifa, making her freeze in place.  
  
"You planned this?"  
  
"Uh...huh?"  
  
"Vince, what's goin' on?"  
  
"It would seem that you have been duped, Chief. If I am to understand correctly, my date was never supposed to be Reeve, Tifa here was relying on your tempestuous attitude to force you into action, something you have apparently failed to do on the last three occasions we have been crossed paths."  
  
Cid's eyes narrowed suddenly, his face turning a rather frightening shade of red. His glare fell on Reeve who physically backed away.  
  
"It was her idea!" He said, pointing frantically at an unamused Tifa. "I thought it was a bad idea!"  
  
Cid turned to look at Vincent who smiled down at him before giving him a quick kiss on the nose. "You go kill her, I'll wait here until you come back." Giving Vincent a lopsided grin, his blazing eyes returned to Tifa.  
  
She gave a nervous chuckle but the smile soon vanished when she realised Vincent may not actually be kidding. As soon as she sensed Cid move, she turned tail and ran across the deck.  
  
Vincent smiled to himself as he heard the cries echo down the corridors. "You wouldn't hit a woman!", "Like hell I wouldn't!", "I could punch a hole in your skull, Cid!", "And I could shove ma Gospel in ya so many times, Cloud wouldn't know which hole to stick his dick in!", "Cid!", "Whoops, sorry Spiky, didn't see ya there!"...  
  
Vincent laughed, shaking his head. He suddenly realised that Reeve was still stood in front of him, clearly not knowing exactly where to be or what to do. The gunner approached him tentatively, before placing his gloved hand on the director's shoulder.  
  
"I don't know what tipped her off, or why you all did this for us...But thank you. We both needed the push."  
  
Reeve visibly relaxed, mirroring Vincent's posture. "We just wanted you to stop being so moody. It just so happened that Tifa figured this was the best option." He said with a warm laugh.    
  
"Now. Would you be so kind, director, as to help me reign in my man? I suspect he may not be exaggerating with those threats. As much as he undoubtedly appreciates the help, she's wounded his pride...he will make her pay." Reeve nodded as he followed Vincent down the corridors to try and get the situation under control.  
  
 _My man_...Vincent ran the words through his mind, a smile coming to his lips once again. He could get used to that.  



End file.
